Theseus' Behaviors

[heyloangel1]

I got Theseus at a pet store in another town. The guy who raised him said he was a year and a half old so he was already full grown when I got him. My parents don't know much about chameleons, so when the cages at Petsmart went on sale and they got a big one for me, they got a large wide one, instead of a large tall one. I know the cages are meant to be tall so they can climb, but me being a current college student, I didn't have room to complain about the free large cage I was just given. So right now, he is in a very large but wide and short cage. I don't know how much of an effect that has on his behaviors, so I would like your opinions. Please don't be too harsh, I know that he should be in a tall cage. Anyway, here are the things he does that I don't know should be considered "normal" or "problematic".

He walks to the bottom of the cage, puts his chin on the glass, and tries to keep walking. It has worn a small sore on his chin (which has gotten better since I have taken him from the pet store even though he still does this) and he pushes all of the wood chips on the bottom of the cage towards the middle, exposing the glass on the bottom of the cage. It is like he's trying to get out. But when I open the cage doors, he usually just watches me. Sometimes he comes out and wanders around. This behavior doesn't bother me as much as this next one does...

The thing that bothers me THE MOST, is sometimes when he is on his branches near the top of the cage (which is aluminum screen), he will take his two front feet, grab the metal screen, and pull on it with his nails. This makes a very loud noise. He usually does this at night or early in the morning. Since he is in my room, I usually turn the UVB bulb off at night and cover the front (not the top) of the cage with a blanket so it isn't bright while I sleep. When the UVB bulb is off, that is typically when he does this. It makes it impossible to sleep.

Actually, my second chameleon does that last behavior too. Pull on the top of the cage with his nails. But it isn't as loud or as often. I would just like to know what I can do to make him happy if he isn't!

 

[windex]

You will need a tall enclosure, if he is hanging around at the bottom of the enclosure a lot he is probably trying to cool down. With a short cage there is not enough of a temp gradient from the top to the bottom. Get rid of the wood shavings on the bottom of the enclosure, you don't need it and it will end up getting in his eye or he will eat it and cause an impaction.. Turn all lights off at night, no infrared, no UVB, no heat lamps, no lights period.. If the temperature is dropping below ~55 at night, use a ceramic heat emitter bulb since it produces no light.

 

[heyloangel1]

Okay. I don't believe it gets below 55 in here, so I'll start turning all of the lights off. And I'll gladly get rid of the wood chips. But what do I put on the bottom of the cage? And I'll get a taller cage. I've known I need to do that. Thanks for all your help!

 

[himynameiznick]

Most people, including myself, use paper towels on the bottom of the cage. Its clean, doesn't cause impaction or harbor bacteria, and is easy to swap out

 

[Zephalia]

The above suggestions are all great and I would take them.

I will stress that ALL LIGHTS NEED TO BE OFF FOR 12 HOURS DURING THE NIGHT. Chameleons will not rest if there is ANY light in the enclosure or even in the room surrounding him so if you keep him in your room with the lights on for a while after his have gone out - cover his enclosure with a dark sheet or thick blanket so no light bothers him. He's probably an insomniac right now and this may correct some of the behaviours that are irritating you.

 

[heyloangel1]

Thank you guys. I'll change his wood chips out tomorrow after my test and I'll start turning all the lights off. Last night when I turned them all off, Theseus sat near the door of the cage and Marvin hung onto the screened wall of the cage all night (things neither of them usually do) but I woke up this morning and Theseus was sleeping and not pulling on the top of the cage! Thanks so much again for your tips, I'll let you know how everything else goes when I get it all changed.